


Keep It Shiny For Me

by FreshBrains



Category: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst with a Happy Ending, Broken Engagement, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Heartbreak, Humor, Introspection, POV Anastasia, Pre-Canon, Rings, Series Spoilers, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 20:29:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2123613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshBrains/pseuds/FreshBrains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ana remembers her best and worst days, and they all involve Will Scarlet and a ruby ring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep It Shiny For Me

**Author's Note:**

> For the LJ comment_fic prompt: _Any; Any; 5 engagements, 1 wedding_.

**1.**

“Ella is gone,” Ana said, slumping down next to Will in the stables.  She snagged the bottle of wine from his hand and took a noisy swig before clenching a handful of sweet hay in her fist, trying to keep control of her envy. 

“What do you mean, she’s gone?”  Will was already a little bleary-eyed from drink, his face ruddy.  Ana hardly knew him, he was just a petty thief and a local charmer, someone good for a drink and laugh, and all Ana wanted was to not feel for a little while.

“Engaged to a prince.”  Ana tried to keep the jealousy out of her voice and failed miserably, feeling every inch the wretch her mother always made her out to be.  “Here one night, gone the next.”

“She’s a bloody servant girl, Ana.  How the hell’d she snag a prince?”  Will tilted a little, face turned up towards the sky to see the stars, and Ana inched away in case he emptied his stomach of wine.

“Oh, who knows,” Ana said bitterly.  She knew—Ella was sweet, and kind, and sang like a bird.  She was pretty and mild and always did as she was told, no matter what.  And Ana was cruel; she knew she was cruel—a cruel, petty little girl in a pretty pink dress who wanted to be a princess.

“Well, to Ella, then,” Will said, and let out a belch instead of a toast.  Ana let loose a laugh, despite her attempt at soreness, and Will smiled.  “I have a feeling you’ll break many a prince’s heart in the future, Anastasia Tremaine.”

 

**2.**

“It isn’t much,” Will said, scuffing his boots in the dirt and avoiding Ana’s eyes.  He had a hangdog expression reminiscent of a little boy with his hand caught in a sweets jar, and Ana loved every inch of her silly man, her big strong man who didn’t have to be a prince to hold his head high.  “But it’s for you.”

Ana didn’t say anything for fear a sob of happiness would come out.  She pressed her palm to her cheek and looked at the dazzling gem Will held between his index and ring finger, a blood-red ruby set in silver.  “Where on earth did you find it?”  The real question was implied— _who did you steal it from?_

Will smiled crookedly, cocky and sure as ever.  “I didn’t find it anywhere.  I bought it, fair and square with my own gold.  Howd’ya like that for a change?”

Ana’s hands trembled as she cupped them around Will’s, letting their combined fingers display the ring.  “I’ve never had someone buy me a jewel before.  I don’t know what to say, my love.”

Will leaned in and kissed Ana gently, their hands still combined.  “Say yes.  Say yes, and we can be together forever—you, me, and this jewel the size of my fist.”

Ana laughed, nodding wildly as Will slipped the ring on her finger.  By the time she had her arms wrapped around Will, she realized she never really said _yes_.

 

**3.**

Ana knew her best moment and she knew her worst moment.  Girls, no matter if they were peasants or queens, sweet or cruel, young or old, _always_ remember their best and worst days, and those days weighed Ana down every single second in between.

Her best was the night she and Will made love for the first time beneath the stars, Will holding her in his strong arms to keep her warm.  The way he held himself over her and kept asking _is this alright_ , the way he tried to keep his choked-off cries in but could not, the way Ana shook apart in his arms until she was boneless with it. 

Yes, that was the best day.

The worst day was her engagement to the Red King, because that’s when she stopped being the girl who laid naked next to Will Scarlet among the wildflowers and started being the girl who broke Will Scarlet’s heart.

It was the worst because it was her fault, all her fault, and there was nothing that could be done about that.  So she became a queen, a queen with many jewels and many rings and many rubies, though she only coveted the one she lost.

 

**4.**

The anger burned even hotter because Anastasia never really hated Cyrus or Alice.  There was nothing to hate—neither presented a threat to Wonderland, and Cyrus could in fact be used to her advantage.  If that meant pushing and pulling a bit, then so be it—Ana always got her way in Wonderland.

When she wanted something done, she didn’t want her failures to be shoved in her face.  But there he was, handsome, earnest Cyrus with his stormy eyes and smart ways, down on one knee before the frumpy girl from another land.  When Alice smiled and accepted, her eyes damp and her cheeks glowing, Ana saw so much of herself and Will.

Alice, however, would never betray her beloved for a crown.  She would get her happy ending.

So throwing Cyrus into the hot air and out of Alice’s reach was like burnt sugar on Ana’s tongue.

 

**5.**

“What do you mean, you and Will were once engaged?”  Ana couldn’t tell if she was amused or angry, but she was certainly confused.

“Bloody hell, why’d you go and tell her that?”  Will pointed at Alice, his face as red as his name.  He flopped onto the cushions on the floor of their Wonderland safe place.

Alice laughed so hard her shoulders shook.  “Goodness, you’re so silly!  It wasn’t a _real_ engagement, Will, it was all a farce.”  She patted Ana on the shoulder.  “Really, it’s a funny story.”

“I’m just _dying_ to hear it,” Ana said with a blasé eye roll, though she really was quite curious.

“It was in Oz,” Will said, obviously uncomfortable.  “They have these little bastards there that greet you when you get there, all colorful and singing, and they took a special liking to Alice here.”

“Munchkins, you boor,” Alice said, smacking Will on the arm.  “They were the Munchkins of Munchkin Land, just outside of Oz, actually.”

“Either way, they creeped me out,” Will said.  “So they sang us a little song and put some flowers in Alice’s hair, and then their weird King came out…”

“The mayor,” Alice corrected again.  “The mayor came out to say a few words, and before we could stop him, he was setting a date for our wedding.  The new lord and lady of Munchkin Land!”  She smiled, lacing her fingers together.  “It was all so quaint, really.”

“Yeah, we got out of there quick enough,” Will said, slinging an arm around Ana’s shoulders.  “But that’s all there was.  Honest.”

Ana believed them, and she wasn’t mad.  But there was a small part of her, a tiny pang in her heart, that ached at the thought of Alice and Will getting closer to a real engagement than she and Will ever were.  All they had was a ring and love, while an entire _town_ wanted Alice and Will married.  “That is quite the story, love.”

Cyrus poked his head into the tent.  “Hello.  What are we all talking about?”

It was Will’s turn to break down into laughter.

 

**+1.**

On Alice’s wedding day, Ana cried on three separate occasions—once when she helped Alice and Sarah put the finishing touches on her gown, once when she first saw Alice come down the aisle, and once when Alice and Cyrus kissed.

It was her new best day, she was sure of it—she had her Will, her friends, and that was all she needed.

After the vows were said and the clapping commenced, Ana stood to make her way to the garden with the rest of the guests, but Will held her back with a gentle hand.  “So, dearest.  I have something for you.”

Ana rolled her eyes.  “I’m not stuffing more food in my purse.”

“No, not that,” Will said, rolling his eyes right back.  “Come here, sit.”

Ana sat daintily on his lap, letting him hold her close with an arm around her waist.  “Alright, what is it?”

“I had this all along,” Will said, fumbling in his pocket.  “It just turned up one day.”

Ana gasped when he pulled out her ruby ring, her long-ago engagement ring, the one that held all of the promises she so easily broke.  “Oh, Will…”

“Now, don’t get mushy on me,” he said, slipping it onto her gloved finger with no preamble.  “Just take the bloody ring and marry me someday.”

“Yes,” Ana said quickly, cupping Will’s face and kissing him soundly, deeply.  “Yes, yes, yes.”


End file.
